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Identifying aberrant personalities
Overview In any grouping of human beings, conflicts involving personalities are inevitable. Learning how to identify certain personality types can help you identify a person or group who could potentially ruin a party. Identifying Idiots The most common malady affecting players is the inability to see another's point of view. The truly blithering idiot has no regard for the welfare of others, and will do everything in his power to advance, even at the expense of the rest of the party. Leaving your party naked in the rain is a great way to insure the death of the party. Some idiots, on the other hand, are merely incompetent within the realm of their chosen profession. It is all too common to find a mage who doesn't understand the concept of aggro management, a warrior who insists upon tanking in Berserker Stance, a rogue that uses Vanish the instant a monster looks at him, or a priest that stops healing and starts complaining any time he takes damage. Some of these types of players can be successfully dealt with in a party, and the revealing of some sounds the death knell of a party. Here, then, is a short list of common idiots. Despite assertions to the contrary, specific types of aberrant personalities often *do* gravitate along class lines. This is due to the specific psychology (or psychopathology) which tends to be associated with the different play styles required by different classes. As such, the type of aberrant personality you will most likely encounter with members of the Priest class, as an example, is a tendency towards extreme emotional sensitivity, smugness, and elitism. The Warlock is similar, however added to that (as you might expect) can be a layer of schizoid, Gothic morbidity and viciousness. Aberrant Warriors and Rogues (particularly the latter) will tend towards control issues, a desire to dominate others, and hubris/overestimation of their abilities. This, then, is a short list of a few of those stereotypes. While it may be embellished to the point of absurdity, anyone who has spent any significant amount of time playing World of Warcraft will tell you that there are people more insane than this. General Advice on Handling the Socially Disadvantaged Dealing with some people can be very difficult. A common impulse upon spending time with an idiot is anger. Managing your reaction to other players is as important to working in a group as knowing how to play your chosen class. Keep in mind that the average idiot, having no empathy for other players, couldn't care less what you think of him and as such will often goad other players into hysterics purely for amusement. We offer, for your edification, a few suggestions on handling yourself in the presence of these mental muttonheads. # Don't get angry. Pushing your buttons is the idiot's way of asserting his superiority. Keep a cool head, and remember that he can't help himself. # Don't argue with him. There is a very famous and applicable saying regarding this: "Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience." Getting into a screaming match with an idiot is a good way to show your teammates that you are also an idiot. You're not an idiot, are you? # Think before you speak. Sometimes an idiot will say something that merits a response. Assuming you can read what he wrote, put together a clear explanation for why you think his head is full of moth balls. Don't give him a leg to stand on. Shame is a powerful motivator in handling the unruly. Above all, remember that they really can't help it. Just as you can't help needing to breathe and eat, idiots can't help themselves when it comes to foolish behavior. The best you can hope for is that someone will train the idiot, in much the same way you would train a recalcitrant dog, to think before he speaks, and to have some regard for the feelings of others. Know Your Retard Leeroy Immortalized in the Internet subculture, Leeroy Jenkins sprinted into a massive brood of whelps, completely destroying his party. The entertainment value in recordings of the event is incalculable. Unfortunately, there is a class of player who idolizes poor Leeroy, and believes emulating his strategy will bring gold and glory. This player is convinced that the best tool for opening a jar is his forehead, that blindly rushing into a group will bring victory, and that anyone wary of supporting such a foolhardy leap into the Pit Lord's mouth is weak and cowardly. Dealing with this Idiot Find something to occupy this player, preferably something that will result in minor and nonlethal head trauma. Napoleon's Lovechild There is a type of person who knows everything. From Sumerian history to Hammurabic law to astrophysics, there isn't a subject under the sun that this person hasn't mastered. Strategy and tactics are second nature to this player, and they are convinced that, given a pliable enough party, they could conquer the world. They will espouse at great length the best way to pull a group, then fly into a spittle-flecked rage when a fight is handled counter to their instructions. Dealing with this Idiot There is very little you can use to silence this player, short of chloroform, an Indonesian fighting snake, and a whiffle bat. Don't ask. Generally the best thing to do is find another group or, failing that, tequila and a pistol. The Guardian Angel Learning to effectively play your class can be a challenge. Don't worry, there are people willing to explain your particular role in such minute detail that you will have no problem understanding it. They alone know the One True Way to maximize a particular class, and they possess the ego necessary to correct your every click. These players, while very similar to Napoleon's Lovechild, have narrowed the scope of their expertise so as to specialize in the blinding of the untutored with the brilliance of their genius. Dealing with this Idiot It is extremely difficult to maintain composure when exposed to this class of person. Telling them to shut up can work, but there is always the possibility that they won't listen. In addition, you need to be careful that such a person isn't a friend of the group leader. If said person is the group leader themselves, telling them to shut up is basically asking to get booted from the group...although the bright side of this is that you could then look for a different group, where you hopefully won't be exposed to the kind of aggravation that has been proven to cause cancer in lab rats. Houdini's Brother Disappearing without a trace, these players trade in cryptic phrases like, "brb," then vanish for minutes or hours. They typically return just as a major boss has died or a desirable piece of loot has dropped. It can be very aggravating for a party to down a boss with four people, find a rare and extremely valuable item, and have that item taken by the one person who did nothing. Dealing with this Idiot Admire the tactless ego that allows this person to use his inclusion in the party to justify taking items he didn't help acquire. Then, when your blood pressure has risen to the point that you begin to twitch like a boiling teapot, cram a piece of rawhide in your mouth and sit quietly until the impulse to scream yourself dead passes. Curious Explorer Some party members have an unquenchable curiosity, a burning desire to know what is around the next corner or how close they can get to a mob without attracting attention. The smarter of these folks have some sort of stealth (rogue or druid), but none of them are Sir Edward Hillary, if you take our meaning. These unwise explorers tend to wander off looking for gather-able ingredients, trying to get a close up on a mob they've never seen before, or just seeing if they can squeeze between two barrels for the fun of it. A fine example of this is the Blood Elf Hunter Patrocinor on the server Emerald Dream. Dealing with this Idiot Rather than constantly trying to reign in this intrepid explorer, sometimes its best to let them die a few times and be slow to heal or resurrect them. Eventually they may learn that their curiosity tends to cost them time and repair bills, but we wouldn't count on it if we were you. A Last Word on People As a game, World of Warcraft is built to entertain players. A huge part of that entertainment comes from the social interactions between players. Unfortunately, it doesn't take many mean, disruptive, or abusive players to ruin an encounter, a party, or even the entire game. Remember that you are not the only player. Maintain a healthy attitude and don't be a jackass. Nobody enjoys spending time with a jackass. If another person in your group needs the same item you do, be fair in deciding who gets it, and don't bitch and moan when you lose. Treating a game like a job is the surest way to stop enjoying it. Category:Community Category:Guides